1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for vertically supporting pipes in oil production rigs, wherein the apparatus includes an outer frame and a centering device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Apparatus of the above-described type are used particularly on off-shore drilling platforms in order to lower the necessary pipes when carrying out drilling procedures. It is necessary in that process to clamp the pipes at certain points in time from the outside and to secure the pipes and, at other times, to release the clamping action and to lower the pipes for carrying out a lowering process.
Apparatus which have become previously known are not sufficiently able in a simple manner to vertically support pipes with different diameters and to carry out a support of pipes which are long and, thus, very heavy.